


Picture Perfect

by Kerriathechosen1



Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Angst, Neo World Program (Dangan Ronpa), Self-Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-12 19:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21481600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerriathechosen1/pseuds/Kerriathechosen1
Summary: After receiving the bonus prize from Fuyuhiko, Mahiru spends some time by herself reflecting on the mistakes of her past and the uncertainty of her future in this hopeless killing game.
Kudos: 6





	Picture Perfect

The ocean waves lapped the shore, catching loose seashells and pulling them back into the depths of the brilliant blue sea. What a peaceful, beautiful place to live.

… Or so she’d once thought. From the get-go, she was wary of the rabbit droid, despite its cutesy demeanor and its insistence on being their teacher. It seemed harmless, sure, but circumstances just seemed too… odd. They woke up outside of a classroom to Hope’s Peak Academy, without any memory of having gotten there, and then the walls collapse and they find themselves on a private island in the middle of the ocean? With no assignments, except to get closer to their new classmates?

It was too good to be true.

That gut feeling turned out to be right after all. When Monokuma appeared, everything seemed to make a turn for the worst, from the weather to their mood. Suddenly they were thrust into a “mutual killing” life, and all the happiness and sunshine and fun transformed into a constant fog of tension. She couldn’t trust anyone -- anyone could be planning on ending her life, at any time. Teruteru and Nagito had been prime examples of that. Sure, Teruteru had his reasons, but didn’t they all? That didn’t excuse him from taking a person’s life. And Nagito had absolutely no excuse at all for what he’d done. His philosophy was the closest thing to pure evil Mahiru had seen in her entire life.

Byakuya hadn’t deserved it. He had annoyed her, that was for sure -- a self-proclaimed leader was usually no good leader at all. But he _**HAD** _been a good leader. She had to admit that, now that light had been shed on his motivations, which they were far purer than she ever could have expected, for a person of his background.

Someone like him was dead. Completely, irrevocably dead.

And anyone could be next.

Mahiru’s shoulders became rigid, and she took another long gaze around her surroundings. It wasn’t a safe place to be. She sat alone on the sloped trunk of the palm tree, gazing out at the horizon and the unending ocean both before and beyond, as darker thoughts and memories resurfaced in her mind. It was a truly gorgeous place to live. It was a truly gorgeous place to die. She couldn’t push back the unsettling thought that maybe this would be hers.

***

Twilight Syndrome Murder Case.

She had never been the biggest fan of video games. They were just one of those ways her father used to waste time, lounging around when there was work to be done. As a photographer, however, she could respect the power and beauty that modern graphics could hold. That wasn’t what inspired her to get up in the middle of the night and play the game, however. It was the fear that, if she didn’t, she would be two steps behind the next killer and might make herself an easier target. She didn’t want to die -- she knew that, more than anything.

And yet… death surrounded her, like ants around a piece of cheese. Some of it, she knew she just couldn’t control, like the deaths of her two classmates, and the looming threat over them all. But when it came to what she saw in Twilight Syndrome Murder Case… Mahiru just couldn’t absolve herself from the guilt she felt, for playing a part in something so tragic.

She brought the packet Fuyuhiko had sent to her chest, and squeezed, imagining it was some soft pillow, or a cat, or her mother -- something that would provide comfort for her in this time of need. As if she deserved comfort. All she deserved was to be brought to justice.

A small part of her had known, the prize notwithstanding, that the events of the game were a part of her past. Even before the end credits had popped up, she spotted the connections between herself and her classmates, and even Sato -- years of knowing Sato had made that as easy as pie. She just didn’t understand why. It was only after the credits rolled, and she saw the name “Kuzuryu”, that everything clicked, and the dread set in. She could easily see it happening. She, Sato, and Natsumi Kuzuryu had never been on good terms, and as much as she loved her friend, Mahiru knew just how deep her rage could develop -- deep enough that she’d lose all sense of the good person inside her.

And Mahiru knew, as tough as she tried to be, that if it came down to justice or her friend’s life, she would always do her best to keep her friend safe and sound.

But Sato was dead now, just like Natsuki. And now she was the only one still alive left to blame. Fuyuhiko had every right to blame her, but… If this was all true, which she believed it was, then he killed Sato. Was that not enough…? Was he truly okay with staining his hands like that?

_"Don't talk to me like we're friends or something! I live in a completely different world than you bastards... Kill or be killed... That's the kind of world I live in. Heh, the current rules make more sense to me than that ‘Play nice and get along’ crap."_

Yes. He was a yakuza; ever since he was born, he was led to believe that life had a price, that it could be paid for with another life, that violence was an answer. His despicable attitude up till now confirmed that. There was no way he would forgive either of them that easily, even knowing what a monster his sister could be.

_Hiyoko… Mikan… Ibuki…_

They had been with her. From what she could tell from the contents of the game, they were relatively close, though she had still not trusted them with the truth of Natsumi’s murder. Could she speak with them about it…? But Ibuki and Mikan declined her invitation.

_"N-No. It's fine. It's important that everyone gets along anyway! Just tell them I'm not feeling well... Plus...it doesn't have to be today. There's...always tomorrow…"_

Yes; even if she had no change of redemption, at least the other girls didn’t have to be dragged down with her. They could keep on enjoying life, enjoying each other’s company. She flipped through the pictures on her camera absentmindedly -- a picture of Hiyoko stamping down on Ibuki’s sandcastle while the other girl let out an exaggerated scream; a picture of Mikan seconds before she made an unconventional fall (thank goodness she didn’t capture that moment in time -- she knew she said, _"I never erase a photo once I take it. That's my policy. No matter what kind of photo it is, the moment captured in it only exists at that time",_ but she might have made a rare exception for the meek nurse); she even had a picture of Hajime and Chiaki sitting together by the arcade machine in the hotel lobby.

Mahiru generally didn’t like taking photos of boys, but she made an exception for Hajime. He wasn’t as obnoxious (Nekomaru, Kazuichi), rude (Fuyuhiko), or just downright weird (Nagito, Gundham) as the other boys, and from what little she’d seen of him, he seemed to be the most respectable. It was more fun to capture him on her camera than it was any of the other boys.

She forced a smile, thinking of the distance she was placing between herself and all her wonderful, yet treacherous classmates. She wanted to be optimistic and join them in their festivities, but then she thought of Fuyuhiko and the pain of losing a family member, and she was back to sulking in her wistfulness.

She hung her head down low, the hopelessness of the situation hitting her once more. What should she do? What _**could** _she do? How can one attempt to resolve their past sin? There really was no way, was there? The past was unchangeable; life could not be restored, and deeply-rooted memories could never be completely erased. Scars never fully healed, and something that broke could never be made whole again.

How could one atone for murder? Mahiru pondered and pondered, but sadly she believed that one can’t -- unless it’s with their own death, and even then, there was still a lasting debt. Killing was always, _**ALWAYS** _wrong, no matter what the reasons. It was why this game was so messed up.

She wondered what plans Fuyuhiko had for her.

Mahiru felt the tears well up in her gray eyes as she thought about her mom, and her dad, so far away. She thought about her dream, to make people smile and capture those brief moments of life for all of the future to see. She had worked so hard to get this far in life, advocating herself and her work when no one was willing to judge it for the precious art she knew it was. She thought about where she wanted to continue going in life, and all of those smiles she wanted to share. They were out there, hundreds and thousands of miles away, waiting for her to get off of this island, waiting for their moment to be captured.

But now, she would never be able to smile so cheerfully again, never be able to connect with her muses. All she would remember was the fact that her beloved camera once captured a corpse, along with the incriminating evidence left behind by the culprit. Natsumi had her own dreams, too -- she wanted the same glory as her brother, for the Kuzuryu clan. Perhaps it wasn’t as noble as Mahiru’s dream, but that didn’t make it any less of a dream, did it? If anything, it gave her a better reason. It wasn’t like Mahiru’s talent was that special -- it was just a hobby. A hobby she was beginning to lose faith in, with the recent turn of events.

She pulled her knees in to her chest, leaning against the trunk of the tree. She inhaled shakily, pushing back a built-up sob. It was no coincidence that Monokuma picked this event from Hope’s Peak Academy to bring back their memories. How cruel… The correlation between the game and the school trip was crystal clear -- if she could do something so terrible, then anyone could. No one was safe from suspicion -- not Ibuki, not Hajime, not even Mikan.

_‘I’m sorry, Sato… I’m sorry, Natsumi…’_

If only things didn’t have to turn out this way. Mahiru wished so very much that everything could be okay, like it was on the first day before Monokuma showed up. She hoped and hoped and hoped, but happiness seemed so far out of reach -- as far away as the horizon.

The concept of happiness was just that -- a concept. It was an unattainable goal of humanity, nothing that could be reached. Underneath the happiness that their Ultimate group of classmates displayed, there was always something darker. Lurking beneath the surface of laughter and smiling faces was something very corrupt and dangerous, just waiting to be unleashed by a single bad move. They were perfectionists -- ambitious, motivated, never willing to concede, always prepared to do the most vile thing imaginable, if it came down to it. And she didn’t doubt that they would.

Mahiru imagined the smiles of her newfound friends -- so carefree and energetic, in blissful ignorance to the hopeless pit they’d dug themselves into. A fresh tear slid down her cheek, as she forced an ugly smile on her pale, shuddering face, the realization settling in her broken heart. Her pictures, her ideologies -- everything she’d come to love was a complete sham.

Because nothing in this world was ever “picture perfect”.


End file.
